


Make me choose

by appreciatethevoid



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Asgard, Hurt Loki, Hurt/Comfort, Loki Angst, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki Feels, Loki Has Issues, M/M, Odin's A+ Parenting, Poor Loki, Self-Harm, Slave Loki, Slavery, Suicide Attempt, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-13 04:06:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3367166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appreciatethevoid/pseuds/appreciatethevoid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Trying to talk with you is like trying to escape a labyrinth with no exit.” He paused, concentrating on the high ceiling, “Thor thinks you were mind-controlled.”<br/>“Do you believe him?”<br/>“I can’t exclude it.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I have to warn you guys: this is my first attempt in writing something in english (which is not my first language) and also my first fanfic ever! Please, feel free to point out any mistakes: you're really helping and I really appreciate it!  
> I don't know if or when I could update this, but I'll try. (:

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony froze. He could choose; go away or stay. Stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by Tattooed Librarian (:

Tony swallowed as he wondered about the day Thor showed up at the tower. The lines of his face were impossibly hard, his eyes darkened with preoccupation. At first, Tony thought he was not serious.

 

“Tony Stark, this is a great favor I am asking you, please do not mistake me: I am deeply conscious of it. In the time I spent in Midgard, I came to know your culture and your rules. Slavery… your people consider it a mistake from another time. I came to you for I have no other choice.”

Tony listened carefully, his brain working at the speed of light, connecting dots. Loki. Odin sentenced him dead. Frigga opposed. She was now dead because of alien foes. Odin couldn’t ignore his wife’s last wish and, at the same time, he couldn’t lose face in front of his entire realm.

“Loki is beyond reason. He is a traitor of Asgard and I am not forgiving his faults, but he is my brother and this was my mother’s last desire. Try to understand this. I am sure you are confused and I shall give you all the time you deserve to think about my proposal.”

And Tony was confused. Very, very confused. Thor had already looked at this from every angle. Contacting Shield was pure madness: director Fury wouldn’t hesitate to use him for every kind of experiment. Doctor Banner was too unstable, and Loki too irritating himself. Both Agent Romanoff and Barton were to be excluded: too much grief, too much to avenge, extreme resentment.

“I will not consider you a lesser friend in any case, Tony Stark. You have my trust and I think of you as a shield brother.”

Saying no Tony was practically doomed to eternal regret for being the reason for Thor’s brother’s death. Saying yes and he was giving a second chance to someone who absolutely did not deserve it. Which was the worst one? Because there was no chance of thinking which one was the best.

“Tony, he is… he is responsible for his wrong doings. I have less than little faith to find the man I grew up with, the brother I loved dearly. And yet, I cannot get past this without trying to save him one last time. Most possibly, he cannot be saved anymore, and we both know this, but Queen Frigga… she could never let him go. And in the same way, I cannot.”

Something cracked inside Tony.

“Thor, man… I’m not a good person. I’m not sure I could, you know, manage your crazy brother,” he let out a heavy sigh. “I…ok, I’m in. I’m doing it. Just… tell me, at least, everything I should know before we get there.”

And Thor, the demigod, smiled softly.

 

Now, he was in Asgard. Waiting before the throne of one of the most powerful people in the whole universe, King Odin. He was there to receive honor and praise, though he felt like he was walking willingly into his own death sentence.

“Tony Stark, the Man of Iron” the King spoke “One of the Earth’s mighty heroes. Your visit to Asgard is most appreciated.”

Tony swallowed again. He felt every muscle in his body tense.

“A banquet in your honor shall be held tonight.”

Oh, food, thank you very much. Tony’s stomach was so tight in a knot there was no chance he could eat anything. Maybe a glass of something strong would help. What a regret not having brought a bottle of scotch. He was in an alien world, without his suit – well, bringing it was a threat to Asgard – and the only people who knew he was there were Pep and Rhodey. Not the best of situations. Being among these space Vikings with no defense: Tony felt lost. But, you have to make choices and Tony made his. He chose to accept Loki as his slave, and now he couldn’t refuse anymore. So, let the banquet be.

By the way, Asgard was great, and Thor was a good guide. The royal palace was totally ginormous. They spent some lovely hours walking the huge gardens and the halls. When the sunset came, Tony felt again the dread in the pit of his guts. He was wearing one of his finest Armani suits, but he seemed awkward and out of place among the people dressed in furs, leathers and mostly medieval dresses. Yet, everyone seemed to look at him with respect: Thor must have been spreading good rumors about him and the Avengers. His seat was at the royal table, at Thor’s right, who seated at Odin’s right. The seat at Odin’s left was vacant. Tony thought it must have been the Queen’s place. The hall was crowded with about one hundred people: members of the council, Thor had said, some of his friends, and some noble people who lived at the court.

Tony tried so much to enjoy his time. He talked to Thor, and even shared some words with Odin. He dared to speak to the lovely girl who was serving at their table: he was glad he did it, because she seemed very nice and smiled back at him every time.

Then it came, like a cold shower.

The main door opened, and four fully armored guards entered the hall. Between two of them, chained as the neck, wrists and ankles, stood Loki. While he was forced to walk through the people who were gathered in small groups here and there, Tony took his time to observe him. The last time he saw him, he was battered by the Hulk, although now he was in no better shape. Loki was wearing some plain, simple gray shirt and black trousers. He was very thin and very pale. Nevertheless, his glare was very fierce and very angry. When the small party arrived to the table, Loki settled his face to a blank one and looked mostly annoyed.

Odin didn’t even glance at him as he stood up.

“Man of Iron, this is the gift that Asgard offers you, for helping to maintain the peace in the Nine Realms.”

Loki huffed. With nonchalance, Odin lightly flicked his wrist. One of the guards smacked the prisoner so hard in the head Loki fell on one knee, then tried to stand up again, swaying dangerously.

Evidently, Thor was not expecting it, for he stood up and froze, looking wildly at Odin. The King, for his part, acted as nothing happened which Tony didn’t like at all.

“Use it as you please. Its magic is now bound and it cannot be a threat anymore, for you and your entire realm.”

For a time they all looked at him again, Loki already collected himself and put out a defiant attitude.

Tony just nodded. He would have paid any price for not being there. When he glanced at Loki again, he noted that the skin not hidden by the shirt was strangely reddened, as if it was scratched.

“And now, shall we not enjoy the feasts of Asgard? Do you find our food pleasing, Tony Stark?”

This was obviously too much for Loki, because he snarled and spat before their table.

Even this time, Odin did not even look at him.

“Enough. Guards! Take it away.”

One of the guards hit him in the ankle with a spear. Loki didn’t emit a sound, but fell to the floor again. Without waiting for him to stand up, the guards dragged him out of the hall.

Tony was literally gaping. Thor had been deadly serious about this: no comment on the King’s doing while in Asgard. Tony understood what Thor meant. He tried to tell himself that it was a matter of different culture: they were aliens, in any case. However, he was not ready for this pointless torture. Loki was a criminal; he should be held in the dungeons - because Tony was sure as hell this place had some bloody dungeons - for a very long time, and possibly forever. But this, this was nearly too much.

Probably noting his anxiety, Thor put a large, warm hand on Tony’s arm. The banquet was still far from the end. Loki’s appearance seemed to produce some exciting talking among the guests.

“Ehm, Thor… you know man, this alien world thing, I’m a bit tired and I’d like to retire for the night ” he said.

“Of course, my friend. I will show you your quarters for your stay in Asgard.”

“Thanks Point Break.”

Odin seemed too occupied in a discussion with someone from the council to think about them leaving the hall.

They had been walking the long corridors when Thor spoke again, “Tony, I am truly sorry. Tonight, the King’s actions were… most despicable. And I… I…”

“Thor. It’s ok, I’m serious. I… When you told me about this, I… I didn’t understand what was going on and… If this is how they are treating him in front of everyone, I can’t imagine what they are doing to him when no one’s looking. Thor, I…”

Thor stopped him with a gesture of his hand.

“Tony Stark. You are a true friend and an admirable man” he said, with a feeble smile.

Tony sighed. “Where is he now?” He didn’t even like the guy. No, for every reason. No. But. When you have known torture, you cannot stand it. Never.

“He should already be in your quarters. The contract must be read in front of the both of you, and after that, he is yours. Your slave.” Thor’s eyes were full of void. Tony’s gut tightened.

“Thor… He is a criminal and a maniac, but you know I won’t hurt him, right? Because this slavery thing makes no sense if I hurt him, ok?” he tried to cheer him up.

Thor frowned but nodded anyway.

“I know Tony. I would not have asked you otherwise. This cannot change the fact that you legally can, from now on and I am the one who is putting his own brother in a master’s hands. He deserves punishment, I am aware of this.” His eyes wandered around, as he was waiting for something to happen, “this cannot change the fact I am unsure if the receiver of this punishment is him or you.”

The guards showed up again with Loki in tow, limping lightly. His face was blank again, drained of all his strength.

“Let us proceed.” Thor said in a little voice.

While Tony sat on a big armchair in the middle of a room, Loki knelt before him. A guard read something in Old Norse. He did not understand a single word, but Thor had already told him everything about it. It was a kind of standard contract between master and slave, where the master had power over life and death upon the slave and yadda yadda. Totally horrifying and medieval but Tony was ready, or, at least, he thought he was. This was his choice, there were no other options anymore.

It was finished before he could tell. The guards left the room,unchaining Loki and leaving the chains and keys on a table. Thor patted him in the shoulder, whispering something Tony could not catch and left. Tony was so overwhelmed he could barely breathe. Loki was silent, still kneeling before him, not even glancing him just staring into nothing. This was too much, Tony needed some fresh air.

 

He took a short walk through the desert hall, reflecting on all the things he had experienced during the day. First of all, Odin; Loki was an enemy of Asgard. Still, he was his son, adopted or not but he clearly showed no affection for him anymore. Thinking about the fact nobody said a word for a defenseless man being hit in front of everyone, Tony felt so lost. How did he get himself into such a mess? What was he going to do with Loki, who absolutely didn’t seem open to collaboration? He wished so much that Pepper or Bruce were here with him. Working out his anxiety by walking, he strolled back to his quarters feeling tired to the bone. Was there a bed? He hadn’t even given the rooms a look. He was already in front of the door when he heard something breaking inside and assumed Loki was throwing a temper tantrum. How was he going to deal with an angry Loki? He could not harm him in any way, Thor was clear on that, but what about a vase thrown _accidentally_ at him? Tony shuddered, no, not tonight. He could deal with him tomorrow morning, after a good night’s sleep. He was already heading to Thor’s quarters asking for asylum, when he heard a strangled voice from inside the room.

“Don’t touch me!”

Tony froze. He could choose; go away or stay. Stay. He approached the door again and decided to enter the room silently. A surprise effect was always the best option. When he opened the door lightly, he felt petrified. Yes, there was a bed, a huge one. Moreover, on the bed there was Loki, straddled by someone. Someone Tony recognized: one of Thor’s friend, Fondral, Frondel, he couldn’t remember. This guy was holding Loki down, keeping his arms above is head, trying to reach for his neck or, Tony felt totally horrified, trying to kiss him.

“C’mon, Loki, stop it! I won’t hurt you!” he seemed slightly amused by Loki’s struggling beneath him. For his part, Loki was putting up a spirited defense, though the guy was clearly stronger than he was. He had nearly ripped Loki’s shirt completely off, and now he was aiming for the trousers.

“I’ll take care of you, princess,” He smiled wickedly.

Tony slipped quickly into the room, reaching for his bag. Being the most quiet he had ever been, he put on an Iron Man gauntlet. No suit, no problem.

They were too occupied with fighting to realize he was there so Tony fired.

 

Loki was so shocked that he did not move just holding his breath. He slowly turned his head toward Tony, trying to rise from the bed, leaning on his elbows. He just stared at Tony with wide eyes and gaping mouth.

Tony was unsure about what to do next, should he get Thor or try to talk to Loki. Talk to Loki, he decided.

“Hey” he whispered to the god “You okay?”

Loki seemed to register who he was and what was happening at that exact moment. His cheeks flushed a bright pink, he averted his eyes from Tony’s and remained silent. Tony stood still, waiting. Suddenly, they heard a gasp from the guy on the floor and Loki looked crazy with fear.

Tony didn’t think twice about it. He approached Fran-something and dragged him out of the room and a bit further along the corridor. Then he came in again and secured the door. Tony sighed with relief. Thor had warned him that since everyone hated Loki, there was a chance he could be attacked when Tony wasn’t around. Ok, Tony thought, but that happening the first five fucking minutes he was not there, that was definitely too much. Unfortunately, the time to deal with his brand new slave had come. Tony turned slowly. Loki was standing, leaning to a wall in the farthest corner of the room. He looked like a caged animal and he was slightly trembling.

Tony took off the gauntlet and laid it on the table, never losing eye contact with Loki.

“Hey” Tony moved a couple of steps in his direction “You hurt?”

Loki was clenching his fists in fury, not moving from the wall.

“Listen, we have to talk, ok? I don't like you and you don't like me, this whole thing is batshit crazy and…”Loki’s eyes watered.

Tony moved closer slowly.

“Hey” he said gently “Can I come closer? Did he hurt you? Where the hell did that guy come from anyway?”

Loki didn’t say a word. Instead, he seemed to be holding his breath in order to keep himself from doing anything else.

Tony decided to come nearer anyway.

“What about sitting and talking a bit? You can use a bit of rest.” He proposed, holding out a hand.

Loki didn’t take it, eyeing it suspiciously.

“I just want to talk, ok?”

Loki nodded almost imperceptibly, but didn’t accept his hand anyway.

He pulled from the wall and carefully walked to the bed. Tony noticed his right ankle still seemed to be giving him some trouble. With some unstable steps, he reached the bed and lowered to sit on it, looking warily.

Tony sat beside him, exhausted.

“You okay, now?”

Loki averted his gaze again and nodded.

“Who is that guy?”

Loki shook his head.

“You don’t know him?”

Loki didn’t move.

“He’s one of Thor’s friends, isn’t he?”

Loki just stared to something in front of him.

“Loki… can you talk?” Tony felt again his guts in a knot “Hey, listen, say something, just… anything… please.”

Loki inhaled and quivered a bit.

“Yes” he whispered.

Tony stayed silent for a while.

“Do you want to rest a bit?”

Loki seemed to think about his question for a second, and then nodded.

Tony had to find a way to deal with this. Deal with his former enemy that now was a victim himself. Direct questions seemed the best way.

“Can I take a look at your ankle? Do you think it’s broken?”

He shook his head and looked away shyly fidgeting with the sheets. Tony gaped at the strange sight. Loki seemed to notice the man was looking at him, he looked confused and tried clumsily to cover himself with the shreds of his shirt, which were still hanging off him awkwardly.

Tony took a blanket from the bed and passed it to him.

“Take this. I’ll find you some new clothes tomorrow, ok? Right now, I’m not sure anyone is around and… I’d like to keep that door closed.”

Loki took the blanket without looking at him and put it around his shoulders. Then, he tried to stand.

“No, no, hey! Stay here!” Tony said, putting his hands out, but carefully avoiding touching him.

Loki froze, and went even paler.

Tony stood.

“Take the bed. You’re injured. I’ll sleep in the armchair.”

Tony took another blanket with him and sprawled on the big soft armchair near the bed.

“We’ll talk, tomorrow, all right?”

Loki didn’t speak. He lowered in the bed and nestled in the sheets.

Tony glanced at him a last time, and then fell asleep.


	2. Tell

Tony woke up and felt like his head was about to explode. He didn’t feel like that in morning since he stopped getting drunk every day. Pepper’s rule, you know. In addition, his back hurt like hell thanks to the very comfortable position he slept in. Suddenly, the memory of the day before came to his mind. He turned towards the bed and… Loki was not there. Son of a bitch. Tony stood and ran to the door. No one in sight, the corridor and whole place seemed desert.

“Damn you!”

“Damn who?”

Tony jumped in surprise. The girl from the night before was in front of him. Tony was out of words.

“Oh, ehm… my… you know… Have you seen…?”

Was it okay to ask about Loki? To a perfect stranger? Maybe, waiting was better.

“Oh, no one, don’t worry! I was wondering, do you have breakfast in this realm?”

The girl watched him from beneath her eyelashes. Her gaze was magnetic.

“Yes, we do.” she smiled “But you missed your hosts’ one. Do you want me to bring you something to eat?”

“No, no, you don’t have to, I was just asking” Tony smiled back. “However, will you show me the kitchens anyway? I could use a snack before lunch.”

If Loki wanted protection, he would have better stayed there where Tony could keep an eye on him. On the other hand, what if…

They were already heading to the main hall, when Tony spoke again:

“Ehm, listen Eir, I just remembered I have to… see Thor. Now. Where is he?”

“Prince Thor is occupied with the council today, I am sorry. If you tell me what you need, I will try my best to help you.”

Tony was very nervous. Loki’s ankle was probably broken, and he was utterly defenseless. Excluding Tony and Thor, everybody in this entire cracked realm wanted to kill him. Maybe Tony wanted to kill him too, in this exact moment. Thor was with his father, and Tony was alone.

Eir seemed a young, lovely girl. Tell her or not. Tell her.

“Listen, Eir. I couldn’t find Loki this morning. I’m sure he didn’t run away, do you have any idea of where could he be?” He hoped so desperately he didn’t run away.

Eir’s lips became a thin line.

“You mean your slave. And you do not know his whereabouts.” She turned thoughtful.

Tony felt uneasy. This could be a very real mess: was she one of the worst Loki’s haters? Fuck.

She answered with great caution.

“Do you want to see him now?”

“Are you talking about Loki?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Follow me.”

She turned on her heels and she strode in the opposite direction they were going before. Tony did his best to keep up with her steady walking, since he didn’t have his coffee yet. Do Asgardians drink coffee? They better they do. She marched past a little wooden door and paced through a long narrow corridor. She stopped abruptly before a heavy curtain.

“Here are the kitchens.”

“Uhm, Eir, thank you, but I’d like to find Loki and then eating, because…”

She interrupted his rambling, lifting the drape with one hand, intimating silence with the other.

Mystery solved, Loki was there.

Sitting at a large table, surrounded by four, five women. Two of them were seating beside him, the others were standing near the table, one leaning to a counter.

“Sweet child, we were so afraid. They could have killed you!” said the elder of the assembly: she seemed to be in her sixties or seventies, but, you know, Asgardians, she was more probably like three thousand years old. She took Loki’s face in her hands, and she kissed the top of his head.

Loki chuckled lightly.

“Lagertha… I wish they had.”

“Loki!” a woman near him smacked the nape of his neck. Before he could reply, a younger woman hugged him from behind.

“Loki! We thought we lost you forever. Don’t jest about our pain.”

“I’m not jesting, I…” but he froze. He slowly stood up, disentangling rom the embrace, and turned to face Tony.

“I have to go now.”

Tony stared stupidly at the scene before him. Loki’s blank face. All those women who were looking at him with badly concealed distaste. Tony, save the day, please.

“Hey, Rudolph, I was looking for you. Madams. I didn’t mean to interrupt any of your business, I just wanted something to eat, is that possible? I assume this is the kitchen, or not?” he tried, babbling the first things that came to his mind.

Loki didn’t move an inch, and the women looked at each other and then at Eir, hesitantly. Nothing changed until Eir spoke:

“I had no choice. He asked about him. I could not leave him alone, he could have met the wrong people, and everything would be worst. I couldn’t warn you otherwise.” She stated.

The woman Loki called Lagertha nodded knowingly.

“It is fine, Eir. Prince Stark has some preferences for his food?”

Tony was taken aback by the charisma she emanated. After her words, everyone – except Loki – turned to other occupations.

“Ehm, Tony.” He could manage.

Lagertha lifted one eyebrow inquiringly.

“I mean, call me just Tony. I am no Prince, or stuff like that.”

“As you wish, Tony. What do you want to eat?”

All the women whispered something to each other, but Tony could not grasp it.

“Do you have some coffee?”

“I beg your pardon, Sir?”

“Anything will be fine, thank you.”

She stood and started to cook something that was incredibly similar to chocolate chips pancakes.

Tony exhaled noiselessly. Loki was still there, glaring at him and waiting. Tony met his gaze and glanced at his feet, wrapped in soft slippers and at his ankle, freshly bandaged. He didn’t remember him wearing any kind of shoes yesterday. He also had new clothes on.

“We need to talk.” He whispered angry.

Loki only snarled in response. Tony rolled his eyes, and was about saying something else, when Lagertha slamming the plate on the kitchen table startled him. Already done? Bloody magic. The other women seemed very on the alert.

“Oww, thank you ma’am. I think we’ll enjoy our breakfast having a look around, aren’t we? This palace is so huge!” and then moved to the curtains which divided the room from the corridor, looking at Loki expectantly.

Loki huffed and lightly limped toward him.

Tony held the curtain lifted and waited for the man to go past him, then smiled to the small female audience and caught up with him.

Tony waited until they reached a balcony to address him again. He took a bit of pancake and said, hoping to sound careless:

“Who were they?”

Loki stiffened and watched the landscape over the railing. It was a clear and sunny sky.

“Servants.”

“Servants who know you very well. That woman tenderly kissed your forehead.”

“What do you want from them?” Loki asked curtly.

“Nothing. I was just asking.”

Loki didn’t add anything else.

Tony said again, chewing his pancake:

“So, listen. We are going back to Earth in a week or so, get ready. You’re gonna stay at my tower. You’ll have you own room and all the space you need, just one rule: don’t fuck it up. You want a bit of this?” he asked, holding out the plate.

Loki shook his head slowly, looking briefly at him with disgust, before his eyes went back to the line of the horizon.

Tony continued with nonchalance:

“Thor is going back tomorrow, to talk, eww, _talk_ with Fury and the other Avengers and set things right before our return. Legally it’s gonna be like a politic asylum, since you are a kind of political prisoner or whatever… This is a sort of a punishment anyway, having your magic restrained and yadda yadda.”

“A sort of… punishment?” Loki said, in a crooked smile “Lovely.”

Tony shivered.

“We are trying our best to make you pay for your debts without you being dead. Thing that you deserved, honestly.”

Loki looked at him ferociously.

“And you were more than exultant to make me pay, I suppose.” He sneered.

Tony finished his pancakes.

“Frankly, Dasher? I was.” A lie. He looked straight into his eyes, challenging him to speak again.

They remained silent.

After a couple of minutes, Tony sighed.

“Let’s go back inside. I’m tired.”

 

They were again in that damn room. Tony kicked his shoes off and dove into the bed-sheets. He was still in his Armani suit. He didn’t even change for the night. Too many things happened, too many different emotions. Loki still stood beside the door.

“C’mon, sit somewhere, we aren’t finished yet.”

Loki sat in the armchair, tense. He seemed to lose part of his attitude, inside here. He needed time, probably. And so did Tony.

“Is there a bathroom, with a bathtub?”

Loki nodded and pointed a door with his eyes.

“Ow, great, I need a bath so much. First things first.”

Loki twitched, when Tony stood, took his bag and headed to the door.

Tony took his time. The water was warm, the soap and the bubbles divine. He tried to think about the new Iron Man suit and the last update needed, to distract himself. Once at home, Jarvis would greet him and tell him everything was ok, thanks to Pepper. Oh, that blessed woman. Where would he be without her? He dried himself up and dressed in his jumpsuit. Still with his hair damp, he went back to the main room. Loki was not easy to cope with, but they had to find a compromise, or the whole thing was doomed. He walked in the room with the best intentions. Yet, again, Loki was not there.

“You little shit!” Tony cried in exasperation.

We walked quickly in the corridor, but this time there was no Eir miraculously leading him to that asshole.

Tony wandered in anger: how can he be always gone every single time Tony didn’t look at him for five minutes?

After a while, he found another servant.

“Hey man, where I can find Thor?” he asked hastily.

“Prince Thor was just searching for you, Sir. He is in the gardens.”

“Thanks.” And, he ran. You know when you have a bad feeling? Tony felt he had a sort of a bad feeling. He thought about the Iron Man gauntlet in his room. Bring it outside was too risky, and it was too late anyway. Too late for what? Too late to indulge a bad feeling.

 

He strode, following the main path of the garden Thor showed him the day before. Tony felt irrational: he didn’t even know if he was looking for Thor of for something else. Dread found him when he found something else. The guy from yesterday cornered Loki to an enormous tree. Tony was blind with rage. Not again, you fucking rapist. The guy was holding Loki’s shoulders in place. He raised a hand to hit Loki, Tony was still too far to stop him, and so he shouted.

“Hey, you, fucker! Get your hands off him!”

While the guy stopped to look at him, suddenly Thor appeared from nowhere and caught his wrist in middle air. The guy seemed lost.

“Thor! My friend! This is nothing more than a huge mistake!” he smiled fondly at Thor, releasing Loki, who went limp against the tree, face blank.

“Fandral. I hope you have an explanation for treating my brother.”

“Explanation!?” Tony muttered between his teeth.

Fandral patted him on the large shoulder, beaming.

“Thor, come on! I was kidding, and Loki knows that! Don’t you know, Loki?” he said.

Loki averted his gaze from the scene above him.

“Loki, are you hurt?”

He didn’t answer.

“He is not, Thor!”

“Fandral! Please don’t come near to my brother again.” Thor intimated angrily.

Fandral lost his grin.

“Of course, Thor. But you know I meant no harm. Man of Iron.” He slightly bowed and headed back to the palace.

Thor looked as adrift as ever.

“Loki…” he whispered, lowering to his brother. “Are you…”

And then, Loki spoke, feebly, but with unmistakable venom.

“Don’t you dare to touch me, son of Odin.”

Thor froze.

“I need to go back to the council. Tony. Will you stay with him until I am free from my duties?” he said, absently.

“Sure.” Tony answered.

Thor nodded and, in a few seconds, he was gone.

Reluctantly, Tony reached closer. Loki was hugging himself, now sitting between the giant roots of the tree.

“Hey” he said, gently “You okay?”

“Why do you care?” Loki looked straight in front of him, letting his gaze wander in the bushes and ponds.

Tony knelt near him:

“I don’t like you. And, you are an asshole. But nobody deserves to be treated like that” he said, sitting on a prominent root. He sighed.

“Was it the first time?”

“What are you talking about?” he retorted bitterly.

“The same guy in my room, and in this garden. Did he try to attack you, before?”

Loki was quiet, observing some small frogs jumping in the near pond.

“He tried” he said, after a while “but I had my magic. I always kept him at bay.”

“Did he attack you while you were a prisoner? Before I came?”

Loki hesitated.

“No. I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Okay.”

The light of the day was light as a breeze.

“Do you want me to call someone?”

“Who?” Loki asked, suspiciously.

“The women in the kitchens.”

Loki let out a laugh.

“Tony Stark, what could the women in the kitchens possibly do for me?”

“I don’t know, they seemed to care about you.” Tony didn’t think he was mistaken. He could recognize affection when clearly shown. Pepper taught him that. With some effort, but she did it.

“They probably do.” He said.

“She called you sweetheart.”

Loki rolled his eyes.

Tony sighed again.

“You are pale as hell.”

Loki frowned.

“Did you meet Hel?”

“What?”

“Nothing. Forget it.”

 

Going back to their quarters was no easy task. People bowed and greeted with animosity every time they held Tony’s gaze. Loki followed him with struggle, thanks to his aching ankle. He kept his blank face all the time, and never showed a single sign of discomfort. However, once they were back, he didn’t wait for Tony’s invitation to sit on the armchair, shutting his eyes in pain.

“Hey, can I give a look?”

Loki didn’t seem to hear him.

Tony knelt before him.

“Is it broken?”

Tony was about to touch it, when Loki flinched and stood up, carefully averting Tony, limping as fast as he could toward the nearest wall.

“No. It’s not your problem.” He said firmly.

“I don’t like to point this out, but now it is!” Tony complained.

“I’m so regretful for causing you trouble, Master.” Loki laughed bitterly.

“Don’t go all Masters on me, you douchebag! You come here so I can see your damn ankle!”

Loki’s eyes were on fire. “Make me” he whispered.

“Come. Here.” Tony mouthed.

“No.” Loki mimed, mocking him again.

“Okay” Tony said peacefully, in a low voice.

He was rapid and swift: painful sparring with Natasha proved useful.

He swung a leg beside the other’s knee and Loki lost his balance almost immediately, falling hard on the floor with a yelp. Tony didn’t wait and dragged him, lifting him on the bed.

Loki screamed frantically “No!” but Tony was already on him, holding him down with a hand on his shoulder, trying to take his ankle in the other. Loki threshed a lot, but Tony kept him in place easily.

“How are you so weak? It’s because of your magic?” Tony frowned. Then, he saw it.

Tears streaming over a face beyond rage. Tony loosened his grip, letting the other’s fingers wrapped around his arm almost scratch his skin.

“Damn,” Tony murmured “I’m sorry” and he put his hands away. Loki took advantage of it and made it to the farthest corner of the bed, moving sluggishly away from the other man.

Tony sank on the floor and groaned, a pain raising deeply in his guts.

“I’m sorry, for real. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He said.

Loki quickly wiped off the tears from his blank face with the back of his hands.

“Are you okay?”

Of course, Loki didn’t say a word.

Tony stood up, and Loki’s gaze followed his moves without looking at him directly.

Tony brushed off the dust from his clothes.

“I’ll talk with Thor tonight, about our trip. I wanna go away from here the sooner as possible. Do you want to see him, or you want to stay here?” Tony offered.

“I’d like to stay here.”

“Will you be safe? Can I ask for someone to stay with you?”

“It is not necessary. I will be safe enough.”

Tony huffed.

“I thought you were safe enough too, yesterday. I’ll call that girl, Eir, is it ok? I don’t want any uninvited guests in my place.”

Loki rolled his eyes.

“Do as you please.”

“Are you hungry?”

“I am not.”

“You didn’t eat anything in a while. You didn’t eat since I first saw you in Asgard, probably.”

“I don’t need to eat as often as you mortals.”

“But you seem as weak and scrawny as you _were_ one of us mortals.”

Loki’s hands balled into fists, so hard his knuckles turned white, but his face didn’t betray any emotion.

“I’ll ask her to bring some food, okay?”

Tony didn’t wait for him to reply, reached the door and stopped a servant passing by the corridor.

“Hey, you!” he called “Do you know a girl named Eir?”

“Yes, Prince.”

“Perfect! Go get her for me, and tell her to bring here some food! And, don’t call me that Prince-King shit again.”

“But, Sir…”

“Now! Or I’ll get you fired!”

The servant was horrorstruck and saying quickly “Sure, Prince – Sir!” he disappeared around the corner.

“Hey, I didn’t mean real fire! Oh, whatever” and Tony closed the door again. Pepper always said to him to always address people how he’d have wanted them to address him. Well, if he was acting like an asshole, he was perfectly fine with people being rude with him.

“So. Do you want to take a bath?”

Loki glanced at him sideways. Then nodded.

“Do you need help?”

“Absolutely no.” Loki said, coldly.

“Ok, sorry, I’m just trying to help” Tony replied, “Help yourself, then, I’ll stay here until Eir is here.”

Loki disappeared beyond the bathroom’s door, and Tony heard the water running.

He sank on the bed and sighed loudly.

“I am an idiot,” he murmured “No.” he scowled “ _He_ ’s an idiot.”


	3. You choose

“Van Halen?”

“No, my friend, _Vanaheim_.”

“Oh, ok ok.”

“Since you are here as an Ambassador of Midgard, you should pay a visit to our brother race, the Vanir.”

Tony wrinkled his forehead.

“Thor, it’s late I’m tired as hell. I’d like to go back to Earthgard the sooner I can.”

“You will. As soon as you visited King Frey, my uncle.”

“You mean he’s One-eye’s brother?” Tony shuddered at the thought. Not another crazy-freak King.

“No, he’s my mother’s elder one.”

“Your mother wasn’t Asgardian?”

“She was not.”

“Oh, ok, I’ll meet Uncle Frey. When?”

“As Lady Natasha delivers your armor, we shall leave.”

“Wait, what?”

“Vanaheim’s rules and customs are different from Asgard’s. Anyone who shows himself in public without his own armor is considered without honor. You are going to need your Iron Man suit.”

“You won’t find another excuse for me after that, right?”

“I promise, Tony Stark.”

“So what? We go there, party hard and then go back home? And I mean _my_ home?”

“We do.”

“Done. And Loki?”

“Loki follows you as he is your slave.” Thor said, with hollow eyes.

 

Tony pulled himself back to his quarters. Loki didn’t show any sign of joy or any kind of emotion to Eir’s arrival, although Tony couldn’t help to narrow his eyes for the sight placed before him when he opened the door. Eir was sitting on the bed, her back to the wall, Loki’s head resting in her lap. She was carding her fingers in Loki’s hair, whispering or better humming something to him.

In the precise moment Loki noticed Tony’s presence, he sprang on his feet, leaving Eir’s hands still in middle air. She faced Tony and stood as well.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to interrupt something…” Tony tried to make excuses. Why in the hell should he excuse himself, by the way? Wasn’t this his room?

“Goodbye, Eir” Loki said coldly, before disappearing in the bathroom, slamming the door closed.

Tony was astonished.

“Forgive him.” Eir said, “He’s not in his right mind.”

“Has he ever been in his right mind?”

Eir chuckled.

“He’s always been very unique.”

“Are you two…?” Tony tried, unsure.

“You mean, involved? No, he’s like a child for me.”

“Oh. It seems you are the same age.”

Eir smiled fondly, and she gave him the impression to look at something very far away.

“He’s 756 years old.”

“Oh, a child indeed.”

Eir laughed softly.

“I don’t remember my exact age anymore, but I’ve been walking the Nine Realms for at least three thousand years.”

Tony’s eyes widened.

“Three thousand?!”

“I have to go. Make him sleep at least. He didn’t eat anything.”

“Hey, Eir! Is it real that you space Vikings eat once in a while?”

Eir frowned “Absolutely not!” and closed the door behind her.

 

“Son of a bitch.” Tony thought.

“Hey Prancer! Are you planning to come out from there? Are you busy with scheming my excruciating death?” he called.

“I’m taking a bath.” Loki’s muffled voice reached his ears.

“Another one?” Tony yelled exasperated.

Loki didn’t answer.

“Don’t drown yourself, or your big brother will break every single bone in my body.”

Tony took the Iron Man gauntlet from his bag, and stopped the recording. Eir seemed a really good girl. Woman. Old lady. Whatever. However, you never know.

Eyeing suspiciously the bathroom door, he plugged in a pair of headphones in.

“Ok, I’m going to see Thor. I’ll be back later.” He recognized his own voice and heard himself closing the door.

For at least an entire minute nobody spoke.

“How do you feel?” Eir said in a low voice.

“How do you think I feel? I’d prefer being dead.” He sentenced harshly.

“Loki… Anything is better than death.”

“Anything? Even this? I was stripped of my Seiðr, reduced to be a slave for a filthy mortal! I’m a puppet, Eir!” Loki sounded really, really angry.

Thank you for the “filthy mortal”, Tony thought.

“Loki, please. Stay calm. He’s not bad. And with that liver? He’s going to live no more than other 20 years.”

Honestly? Fuck you, Eir!

Loki chuckled.

“And what after that? Another Master? A worse one?”

“Odin will forgive you, sooner or later.”

“I don’t want to be forgiven by him!” Loki yelled.

“Loki. Keep you temper under control. It’s not my fault if we are here.”

Loki stayed silent for some time.

“I know Eir. I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry? Does he even know what those words mean?

“Don’t worry Loki. I understand. You could always run away, if your Seiðr is restored.”

“You are always so optimist, Eir. How could I do that?” Loki’s voice felt hopeless.

“You never know. You can never predict what happens next, you cannot image.”

“I cannot image any kind of future, right now.”

“Will you eat something?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Do you want to die starving?”

“It’s a possibility.”

“Loki…”

Tony heard a noise from the bathroom, like a shattered glass and stopped the record. Putting hastily both gauntlet and headphones away, he called:

“Hey Blitzen, what’s going on in there?”

No answer.

“Loki, I swear, I break the door!”

“Damn you!”

Tony took again the gauntlet from his bag.

“Loki, last call” he said calmly, menacing.

Nothing again.

“You choose.”

He fired to the door handle.

When the smoke dissipated, he opened the door with a foot, his hand still ready to shoot.

Loki looked at him in surprise. He was standing near the sink, the mirror above completely broken, and a piece of glass in his hand. And. Blood. A lot. Flowing from a gash on his left wrist.

“No. Fucking. Way” breathed Tony “Put that thing down! Now!” he yelled.

Loki inhaled deeply and let it fall to the floor. Angrily he took another one and tried to cut the other wrist.

“Damn you! Will you stop it at once?!”

Tony was on him like a thunder and grabbed him by his shoulders.

“What the hell do you think you’re doin’, you idiot!” Tony shouted right in his face.

“Let me go, you miserable creature!” Loki cried.

Tony took the shard of glass in the other’s hand with his gauntlet and tossed it away.

Tony pushed him to lay down, concerned with all the blood that was now almost everywhere, Loki never stopping thrashing with all his strength.

“You are totally, totally crazy! And I’m struck with you! Because of your idiot brother!” muttered Tony, marking each word slamming Loki’s shoulders on the floor. Tony took a towel and pressed it on the other’s wrist.

“You stop moving!” Tony shouted again.

And Loki stopped, his eyes watering and his breath ragged.

“You have no idea” he whispered “You… you…” he closed his eyes tightly shut.

Tony relaxed a bit, but kept his hold on the other.

“I have no idea of what?” he asked.

Loki didn’t speak.

Tony let out a heavy sigh.

“Can you stand?” he tried again, gentler this time.

Loki shook his head slowly.

“I got you, c’mon.”

Tony released him and helped him on his feet, and then he took him to the other room and made him sit on the bed.

“Keep pushing the towel, ok? I’m back in a sec.”

Tony put away his gauntlet and grabbed a couple of towels in the bathroom. He dampened them with warm water, then went back to Loki and knelt before him.

“Let me see.” He said in a low voice.

Loki, with eyes still closed, let Tony put away the dirty towel and clean his arms and hands with silent brushes. The gash was not deep, but the blood was still flowing.

“Press this on the cut, will ya?” Tony said, putting Loki’s hand on the towel.

Loki did as he was said, his breath now even.

Tony took his face in one hand and cleaned some drops of blood on Loki’s face. The man flinched at the contact but didn’t move further. Tony kept his touch light as a feather for not scaring him. When he was done, he let Loki go and sat cross-legged on the floor.

“Why did you do that?” he asked softly.

“None of your business.” Loki’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Look at me.”

Loki opened his eyes and Tony saw they were reddened and puffy.

“Why did you do that?”

Loki stayed still as a statue, his eyes piercing him.

“We’ll find a way. We just need some time to adjust. We’ll be fine, ok?”

Loki didn’t move.

“I’d like to rest, now” he whispered, closing his eyes again.

“Ok, no prob, Dasher. Just let me tell you one thing. We’ll have to – probably tomorrow – take a trip to Van-something.”

Loki blinked twice before letting his gaze on him once more.

“Vanaheim. You have to pay a visit to Frey.” He said plainly.

“Yeah, there, him. You are well informed.”

Loki diverted his eyes.

“I was second in line to the throne. It is a long time since someone from Midgard visited Asgard. Frey would be offended if you didn’t visit him. And that’d mean troubles for Asgard.” He explained in a flat voice.

“Ugh, a pain in the ass, this Frey.”

“Frey doesn’t give a shit about you, stupid mortal. It’s official protocol.” Loki’s stare was so full of anger Tony couldn’t hold it anymore.

“You seem to know him very well.”

“He’s… He was my uncle.” Loki hesitated.

“Friend or foe?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your uncle. Is this a safe trip?”

“I… I haven’t seen him in some years. Some years before…”

“Ok, but before that? Before New York, you mean, right?”

Loki gave him that piercing look again.

“Yes.”

“And so? Friend or foe, before that?”

“I… I suppose, a friend.”

“Good. How’s your arm?”

“It’s… fine.”

“Why are you not healing faster? It’s because of you magic?”

“Yes.”

“So, if you don’t have your magic, you don’t have those healing skills you space Vikings are so proud of?”

“I am not… a space Viking.”

“Well, ok, you _Asgardians_ , but you are pretty much space Vikings to me anyway.”

“I am not Asgardian.”

“What? Oh, yeah, Thor mentioned you were adopted. You’re adopted from another race?”

Loki’s eyes widened.

“Yes.”

“Are you Vanir?”

“No. I am Jotun.”

“And what’s that?”

“The frost giants.”

“You don’t seem very giant, you know.”

“This is not my real appearance.”

“What? Are you a _giant_?!”

“I’m not a giant, you stupid mortal. I am a Jotun, but I am a runt.”

“But what…”

“Stop it at once!” Loki cut it out venomously.

“Sorry, sorry. I got it, no one mentions the giants. See? We can find some compromises.”

Loki narrowed his eyes in wrath.

“Let’s find another one. You eat a slice of bread and you can go to sleep.”

“This is not a compromise.”

“C’mon, Eir brought here all these things for you!” and Tony pointed at the tray on the table, full of any kind of food.

“The cake.”

“You want the cake.”

“Yes.” Loki said, face blank again.

Tony stood and passed a fork and the cake’s plate to Loki.

He put aside the towel, took the plate and the fork and ate a single bite. Then he put it on the bed-stand and lied down, pressing the towel back to his arm.

“What? Just that?” Tony asked incredulous.

“I ate.” Loki answered and turned over the wall.

“You’re a lil’ shit.” Tony murmured, grabbing a blanket and sprawling on the armchair.

 

At the sunrise, Natasha had already delivered his suit thanks to Heimdall, and a small party – Tony, Loki, Thor and the Lady Sif – was ready to take off to Vanaheim. Tony suspected Thor insisted to bring Loki with them on purpose: leave him alone in the Palace without both him and Tony was a huge risk. Tony put on his suit when they were still on the Bifrost. Thor’s friends, the Warrior Three came along with them, chatting idly until they stood in front of Heimdall.

“Are you all ready?” the Watcher said.

“Yes, Heimdall. Open the Bifrost.” Thor’s voice boomed in the void.

“Have a safe journey, my friends! And enjoy Vanaheim exquisite food!” exclaimed Volstagg, the bigger one.

“Thank you, friend.” Sif smiled.

The others were already ahead, when Tony retreated slowly towards Fandral, the farthest of the little group.

“Hey, Robin Hood?”

“What can I do to please you, dear-”

Tony punched him right in the face, so hard that the loud crack made everyone turn to them.

Tony grinned inside the suit. Fandral was folded in two with pain.

Loki’s eyes were glittering with mischief.

“Oh, sorry! I was kidding, and you know that, don’t you?” Tony said, running toward the others and letting the light of the Bifrost to take him to another realm.

 

Nobody commented on Tony’s action on the Asgardian part of the Bifrost. Nobody but Lady Sif.

“You stupid mortal! Why did you hit him? I shall make you pay!” She was so livid Thor had to restrain her to save Tony from her ire.

“I’m sorry my lady, I had to settle an old score.” Tony grinned.

Whilst Thor and Sif were busy with arguing, Tony waved his hand and him and Loki walked on the short rainbow path toward Vanaheim.

“You didn’t have to. Now they’ll hate you.” Loki said.

“I wanted to. He’s a douchebag.”

Right then, Tony heard a steady, approaching noise.

They both looked ahead.

A man on a huge horse was galloping so very fast in their direction.

“You said they were friends.” Tony shuddered, preparing himself to fight.

“They are. That is King Frey.” Loki explained.

“The King himself?” Tony was amazed: the man who was coming nearer seemed awfully frightening.

He arrived, and jumped off right before them.

Loki froze.

In front of them stood this man, tall, with long, brown hair. His expression was extremely menacing, his eyes were dark and nervous.

He eyed Tony briefly, and then he set his gaze on Loki.

King Frey was dressed in a green and gold shirt, mostly covered by a large tarnished silver breastplate. His legs were wrapped in leather trousers and his feet clad in high boots. Over his shoulders rested a heavy and black cloak.

He spoke in a deep, low voice, frowning.

“I thought you dead.”

Loki exhaled. “I’m not.”

The huge man drew closer.

Tony was ready to strike.

Right then, something unexpected happened.

King Frey hugged Loki very tight. Loki didn’t return the embrace, but didn’t try to shake him off either.

“I had just lost her. And I had to accept I lost you too.”

King Frey released him and took his face in his hands, searching Loki’s eyes.

“And then, today, some inane herald from _Asgard_ comes here and tell me you are coming. I rode here the moment I knew. Loki. What. Happened.” King Frey stopped to drink his sight, his frown going deeper, his voice rumbling, “Why are you dressed like this?” then glared at Tony once more “What’s this can?”

Loki took one step behind to disentangle himself from the King’s strong grip.

“King Frey, this is my Master, a man from Midgard. Odin the All Father sentenced me to serve him until he lives.”

King Frey gaped in revulsion.

“Odin _the what_ did _what_? Loki… For the Nine, what in _Hel_ are you talking about? And since when I am _King_?” King Frey gave Tony the impression to be a so very confused man who didn’t know where to start from in demanding explanations from his son.

Meanwhile, both Thor and Sif had reached them.

“THOR!” King Frey roared, pushing Loki behind him while striding toward them.

“EXPLAIN.”

Thor seemed apprehensive, and his voice was tense when he spoke:

“Uncle Frey, the All Father punished Loki for his crimes. I judged his decision too harsh, but-”

“I am no uncle to you!” the king halted him “Too harsh? My nephew is a _slave_ and this is too harsh? Odin carried it too far! This means war!”

“King Frey” Loki called weakly.

Thor and Sif seemed a lot smaller in front of the enraged man, who kept barking out in front of them.

“I wasn’t told about my sister’s death before her funerals were already been celebrated! I was told my Loki was dead! What kind of game is playing that old bastard? This is the end of it!”

“Frey!” Loki yelled.

King Frey fell silent and faced Loki again.

Loki was on the verge of crying, his eyes already shining.

“Frey, please. Grant us an audience and then let us go away.”

“You won’t go away from here until you explain me everything.”

Loki sighed.

“Escort us to the Palace, then.” Loki proposed, defeated.

The King nodded and went back to pick up his horse’s bridle. He gestured Loki to get on the horse, but he refused. Therefore, they walked quietly toward Vanaheim, Tony, Thor and Sif in tow.

“Frey is an exceptionally good man. He’s very hot-headed, though.” Thor muttered.

“I think I got that.” Tony said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “He’s 756 years old.” -> I made it up! I read somewhere Loki should be one-thousand-something years old, but I wanted him a little bit younger.


	4. Drink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betaed by TattooedLibrarian (:

The Vanir royal Palace had the same grandeur that Odin’s citadel had, and at the same time, it gave a different feeling. Less gold, narrower paths; sometimes Tony felt like he was escaping a labyrinth. Frey kept a hand on Loki’s nape the entire time they walked the long corridors. The group entered an immense hall: the ceiling was so high the torches couldn’t illuminate every corner.

When the small party reached the throne, the King and Loki stopped.

King Frey flipped his wrists and a long wooden table with stuffed chairs appeared.

“Sit, all of you.” Frey said curtly, seating himself at the head of the table, gesturing Loki the seat at his right. Tony sat beside Loki, Thor and Sif at Frey’s left.

The King sighed heavily, before he spoke in his deep voice:

“Tell me _exactly_ what that bastard of my brother-in-law has in mind.”

“King Frey,” Sif interfered “I hope you are going to stop referring to the All Father in such terms.”

“Lady Sif, I wish you and this can weren’t here, so that I could speak frankly with my nephews, but, alas, you are here. Not all our desires are fulfilled. Now, I demand the whole story. Bjorn! Serve some wine.” He commanded.

“King Frey, we are here to accomplish our duties to pay you a visit, for the presence of a Midgardian on Asgard.”

“I’ve never been King Frey for you, Thor. Don’t start calling me that today.”

Thor smiled softly while a young boy put a jug full of red liquid on the table, serving cups to the guests.

“Loki committed many crimes at the expense of the human race, so he was sentenced to be a slave to one of them. Tony Stark, a man from Midgard was chosen as his Master.”

“Why him? Does he even have a face under that can?”

“I do!” grinned Tony, removing the faceplate. King Frey nodded in acknowledgement, and then faced Thor with an inquisitive look.

“I suggested him. I thought he was the best choice for my brother.”

“Why didn’t Odin just kill him?”

“Mother interceded on his behalf, before her sudden death.”

King Frey’s eyes darkened at those words.

Tony could sense Loki tense beyond belief. He was so tempted to pat his shoulder or his knee but he didn’t dare.

“What crimes are we talking about?”

Then, both Thor and Tony explained, for the millionth time, what happened before the battle of New York and in the afterwards. Loki didn’t say a word, keeping his gaze averted from everyone.

“I do not exclude Loki was mind controlled by the Chitauri, although at the present state of things we have no evidence of that.” Thor concluded.

King Frey slowly rubbed his temples.

“I understood.” he finally said. He glanced at Tony. “So, let’s have the damn feast. So he can have fun.” He snarled, slamming his fist on the table. Sif smirked.

“Hey!” Tony protested, “I didn’t even want to come here in the first place!”

“Yes, I believe you for sure!” yelled Frey. Then he smacked Loki’s head with the back of his hand in the process of standing up.

“We can totally skip the party, on my behalf,” Tony frowned, “I really would like to be in the part of the story where I am at my house in Malibu, chilling in my Jacuzzi.”

“Oh, so you can skip the part in which you have fun with my nephew in front of everyone?” he roared.

“I’d love to skip the part in which I have to forcefully spend my time with you space Vikings at all!”

King Frey glimpsed at him askew and said bitterly “Unfortunately, we can’t. Porunn!” he called. After an instant, a little, chubby woman appeared from a corner in the hall. “Inform all the noblemen. We are receiving a man from Midgard.”

“Yes, your majesty…” she said, and then, she glanced at the table and yelped, seeming anxious. Her face went so red, her eyes so glistening she seemed about to burst into tears. “Your… your Majesty…” she implored.

“What?” King Frey had already averted his gaze from her when he noticed her reaction, “Oh. Oh, Porunn, of course you can.” He sighed.

The woman happily strode to the table, reached for Loki and threw her short arms around his neck.

“Loki! Dear child! We thought you dead! Come to visit us, will you?” she looked at him expectantly.

“I will, if my Master will let me.” Loki said reluctantly.

The woman watched Tony with so much disdain that he felt the worst person on Earth. Or, in the Nine Realms.

“O-of course he can go visit the lady, what the hell, sure he can!” he said in a hurried voice.

Porunn narrowed her eyes and disappeared in the shadows of the hall.

“My servant will show you your rooms. Rest until tonight’s feast. It has been a long day.” King Frey said, looking at Tony with a particularly suspicious look.

Tony and Loki were assigned to the same room, of course. This official protocol was driving him crazy. One room, one bed. A large bed, thank you very much, but only one. This time, there were no comfy armchairs that could do the job.

“You know what?” Tony let his bag fall on the floor “One of the things I hate more about your batshit crazy realms is probably furniture.” He said, stepping out of the Iron Man suit.

He glanced at Loki, who was always paler and thinner and weaker.

“Give me a hand here, Loki. I feel like I’m trying to read a book in a language I don’t understand.”

“What do you want to know?” asked Loki, sinking to sit on the floor.

Tony sit on the soft bed.

“Are you being so accommodating because you feel you are dying from starvation?” Tony said, raising an eyebrow.

Loki exhaled.

“I’m your slave. I _can’t_ say no. Ask.”

“Do you trust Frey?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“He’s my mother’s brother. They were very close, and I spent part of my youth with him and his family.”

“He treats you almost like a son.”

“There was a time we were probably close.”

“Probably? And why are all these servants so happy to see you?” Tony asked, out of curiosity.

“When I was very young, the Queen used to take me with her during her daily duties. They all remember me, since I was a child they tended to.”

“They all call you sweetheart!” Tony chuckled.

“This is none of your business.”

“Ok, ok. I suppose we are spending the night here, and tomorrow we are going back to Earth?”

“It could be.”

“I really hope so. It’d have been easier with Fury and the others if Thor talked about everything before… Well, we can always stay at my house in Malibu, when he settles things for us.” Tony wondered.

“And then…why is Frey so suspicious about me?”

Loki chuckled lightly.

“He’s always been protective about me. And… ”

“And what?”

Loki fixed his gaze on the large window at his left.

“Maybe, there’s something I should warn you about before tonight’s feast.”

Tony shivered.

“Oh, god. What?”

“In Vanaheim to possess a slave does not have same meaning it has in Asgard. Having many servants is overly common for rich and noble men, of course, but a slave… You always intend a bed slave.”

Tony felt like a bucket of iced water was thrown all over him.

“When he said…” Tony almost whispered, panicked “ _Having fun with my nephew_. He meant-”

“Yes.”

Tony was going to faint. Alternatively, to die in shame.

“There will be all the important noblemen in Vanaheim, tonight. Most of them will have a slave. You are supposed to behave with yours as they do with theirs, or they’ll be offended and may complain to the King, since you are his guest. A matter of different cultures.” Loki deadpanned bitterly.

“Please, tell me you are kidding, Rudolph.” he begged, in a thready voice.

“I’m not.”

“Thor knew this.”

“Of course he knew.”

“Why in the hell did he bring us here?”

“He had no choice. This was off-”

“Official protocol, I got it!” Tony cried, exasperated.

“…and the only official way to let Frey know about my current… situation.” Loki explained.

“You mean he did it _on purpose_?”

“I suppose.”

“Are you sure you are not blood related?”

“Stop it at once.”

“Loki. I need to know one thing.”

“Then, ask.”

“Is this _feast_. A kind of orgy?”

“You are disgusting. No, of course it’s not.” Loki sneered.

Tony sighed in relief.

“Dear god, thank you. So when he said _in front of everyone_ …”

“King Frey is famous for his overreactions. He was merely exaggerating.”

“Dear, dear god.” Tony sank in the bed and closed his eyes.

Loki waited some time to speak again.

“The party is going to be held at the sunset.” He started.

“Ok.”

“Before then, there’s still plenty of time.”

“Yes.”

“Can I have a bath?”

“Absolutely not.”

“A real bath I mean. I have people to see, before tonight.”

“You mean that lady?”

“She and someone else.”

“Who’s this someone else?”

“None of your business.”

“Keep the bathroom door open.”

“Never, you filthy human.”

“Compromise.”

“Fuck you.”

Tony heard the main room’s door slamming close when Loki walked away.

“At least, this time I saw him disappear.” Tony thought. He also thought he had to follow him but he was so damn tired, all at once… so suddenly… so… strange… feeling… damn Frey. The wine… it was… the wine… These crazy people must definitely be blood related.

 

“Stark. Stark! Wake up!” Loki’s cold voice sent shivers along his spine. Tony opened his eyes to see the other man’s annoyed face.

“Fuck you, you little shit! Your uncle drugged me!” he said sluggishly, while trying to regain conscience of his body. He sat, glaring in Loki’s voice direction.

When he saw him, he gulped.

“What the hell you’ve put on?”

Loki changed his former clothes to some others, quite… eccentric. He was wearing a white loose shirt over some black and tight leather trousers. Open sandals at his feet and heavy jewelry almost everywhere. Gold, large bracelets on his wrists, an elaborated flat necklace that looked almost like an armor’s breastplate, some sparkling clips on his hair and a fine golden diadem on his forehead.

His hair seemed freshly washed and he had a sort of flowery scent.

Loki huffed.

“Frey gave these to me. If I have to be a slave, I have to be at least the more gorgeous, it seems.” He explained, and rolled his eyes.

Tony chuckled.

“Why did he drug me?”

“He didn’t know if he could trust you. He forced to sleep Thor and Sif as well.”

“He does, now?”

“Does what?”

“Trust me.”

“Of course not. But I told him you’re not the problem.”

Tony stretched and yawned.

“Odin’s the problem.”

“Odin’s always been a problem. My personal problem is the fact I need my Seiðr back.”

“Is your Seiðr your mojo?”

“If this is the only way you can understand it, it is, you idiot mortal.”

“If you have to offend me, try something new once in a while.”

Loki didn’t seem to pay attention to him anymore, and turned toward the window.

“It’s almost time to go. Frey hates people being late.”

“You can’t have your mojo back. Odin’s gonna strike you dead.”

Loki flinched.

“No, if he doesn’t know about it.”

“You’re struck with me, remember? It’s your punishment. If you run away, what says I won’t spill the beans?”

“Because if you do, I’m going to kill you.”

“What tells you I’ll let myself be killed?”

“You can live. I don’t care.”

“Yeah, I’m not going to last more than 20 years anyway.”

Loki twirled around faster than light. And Tony cursed himself.

“You _what_?” he whispered in shock.

“I…” Tony babbled, “I was just sayin’.”

“No, you weren’t just saying.” Loki’s gaze was in flames “Eir said that to me! You spied on us! _How_?”

Tony watched in shock Loki going paler and angrier second after second.

“I… I didn’t! I don’t know what you are talking about, actually!” Tony raised both his hands before himself.

“ _How_. Eir said nobody was listening. She’s never wrong.”

“I…” Tony saw no exit path “I recorded you.”

Loki gaped.

“What… what do you know? Tell me. Now.” He was slightly trembling.

Tony’s eyes widened in panic.

“Nothing! For real! I had just started to listen, when you… when I stopped you in the bathroom!” he hurried “I swear.”

Loki was livid.

“Destroy it. Now!” he said, in ragged breaths.

“Loki. Compromise. We can listen it together.” Tony proposed.

“You had no right! You absolutely had no right!” Loki cried in pain.

“I know I didn’t! But I did it anyway! I just wanted to be certain Eir was not trying to hurt you or me! The hell, Loki! I had just found your brother’s friend straddling you the day before!” Tony yelled back. And that signed an incredible escalation of shouting.

“Stop talking about that!”

“I didn’t want to talk about that, you asked me!”

“I asked you?!”

“You never listen!”

“Someone has to, since someone else likes to overhear everything!”

“You’re exaggerating!”

“Destroy it! Delete it! Now, in front of me!”

“Shut! Up!”

Loki did. He did shut up. His face reddened in rage, but his lips were pressed in a thin line.

Tony froze, while understanding flowed over him.

“You… you _can’t_ say no.”

Loki’s hands balled into fists.

Tony ruffled his hair, turning away from Loki.

“Oh my god” he whispered “Loki. How many other things I don’t know about this fucking contract? And why Thor didn’t tell me?” he felt he couldn’t breathe properly anymore.

Loki’s gaze fell to the floor.

“We have to go. It’s late.” he said, calmly.

“Give me a sec.” Tony sighed. He changed his clothes in the bathroom and washed his face “Damn you all, space Vikings of my ass.” He murmured.

“Do I have to put the suit on again?”

“No, not necessarily. A feast is an informal occasion.”

“Ok. Let’s go, then.”

 

The main hall was crowded with people, though Tony felt the atmosphere was tense since they stepped in.

“Rudolph” he whispered, pulling Loki close by the sleeve “Why is everyone so edgy?”

“This is the first public event after the Queen of Asgard’s departure. She and Frey were really close.”

“How do you know that? Did you speak with him before?”

Loki nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tony asked heatedly, but their chatting was interrupted by Thor and Sif coming by.

“Tony! Why did it take you so long?” Thor said.

“Hey Thor!” Tony put on his fakest smile.

“They weren’t drugged like I was?” he asked Loki between his teeth.

“They were. They just don’t know.” He answered, while the others were approaching.

“What we don’t know, Loki?” Sif asked distrustfully.

“How much fun Tony and I are having.” Loki smiled, encircling Tony’s waist with an arm and pulling him closer.

Tony gave a start for the sudden contact, resuming his fake smile as Loki pinched his side.

“Oh, yes, Sif! Loki was showing me around. Lovely place, Vandalheim!”

“ _Vanaheim_ , Tony.” Loki corrected him, sounding cheesy “Why don’t we keep enjoying the feast held in your honor?” he smiled.

They moved farther, leaving both Thor and Lady Sif in heavy disbelief.

“You’re the devil incarnate!” Tony murmured.

“Possibly.” Loki grinned.

Zigzagging among the other guests, they finally found Frey, who was speaking in a low voice with some men.

“Oh, here you are. Erik, you remember my nephew, Loki?”

“Of course I do, Frey. Good to see you alive, young man.” Erik was a tall, bulky blond man, with a long beard and huge mustaches. Along with him came a young girl, thin and very gorgeous

“Lord Erik.” Loki greeted “This is my master, Tony Stark, a man from Midgard.” He said pointing politely at Tony.

“I was told the news, Loki. Be careful with the noblemen. We already overheard some unpleasant rumors. Gyda did, actually. Have you met her?” Erik said fondly, holding her close.

“Never had the pleasure before.” Loki smiled courteously.

“Nice to meet you, Loki. King Frey often talked about you.”

They chatted idly about some common friend they had in a place called Alf-heim. Tony respectfully smiled the whole time, answering questions about life on Midgard when asked. King Frey was abducted from them by some member of his council almost immediately.

When they departed from Erik and Gyda, Loki took a glass of wine from a waiter walking by them.

“You don’t want to drink anything?” He asked.

Tony could use a good booze. This new public event seemed particularly stressful.

“So nice of you, asking! I’d prefer to sleep when I decide to, thank you anyway.”

Loki chuckled.

“It’s not drugged, you don’t have to worry.”

Tony just gave him a toothed smile.

“Did you see them?”

“You mean Erik and Gyda? Who were they? They seem nice people. Well, as nice as space Vikings can be.”

“They are the only truly nice people you’ll meet tonight.”

“What do you mean?”

Nevertheless, they were interrupted by a man striding towards them.

“Well, well, well! Look at who’s back from Hel! Loki of Asgard!” he boomed, and the people around them turned in his direction murmuring.

“Lord Horik.” Loki acknowledged coldly. Tony felt him tensing imperceptibly.

“Funny thing to see you again. We all thought Odin sentenced you to death. And yet it actually seems… he chose a more creative way to humiliate you.” An evil smirk formed on his large, brute face.

“The All Father has always been creative when it came to me.” Loki smiled falsely.

“This time he merits some praise, though. He did his best. You.” He smirked to Tony “How do you find your new slave, mortal? Does his accomplish all you desires? Or is he lacking, even in bed?” he laughed vigorously, and so did the entire little crowd around them.

Loki kept an amazing lightly annoyed face and said, “You’re nothing more than an enriched farmer, Lord Horik. We don’t have anything to say to you.” He turned to walk away, but Horik grabbed his arm and forced Loki to face him.

“You, filthy slave, if I wish to talk with your Master, you shut up and stay in your place!” he spat, shoving Loki back so hard he fell to the floor. People laughed.

Tony’s blood was boiling.

“Hey you! Keep your hands off! Are you looking for trouble?” he shouted to Horik, offering Loki a hand to stand up. He refused and faced Horik angrily.

“How you dared you stupid pig!” Loki yelled.

Horik laughed even more loudly.

“Look at this slave, my noble fellows! The former second in line to the throne of Asgard! Now warming the bed of a mere mortal!”

“ENOUGH!” King Frey’s voice roared in the whole hall.

“Horik. Mind your business.” The King said, threateningly.

“King Frey! This slave is offending me! Will you punish him?” the man said trying to hide a smirk.

“I may punish you, for harassing an official Ambassador from another realm, instead. A guest that doesn’t know our customs. This is a crime, too.”

Horik giggled “Yes, my King. Lie to yourself.” And retired to speak with a man behind him.

Tony was fuming.

Loki took another cup of wine from a table and drove him at the other end of the hall. Tony spent the evening answering nervously to all the questions people asked him mostly about Midgard history and myths. Sometimes hearing spiteful whispers about treating a slave the proper way, the thing that made Tony quite uncomfortable. Loki spent the evening drinking, speaking only when Tony himself wasn’t able to give explanations about old stories and legends. It was late when the first people started to leave the hall. Tony noticed Loki was slightly drunk. He chuckled now and then, and his eyes were shining.

Thor reached them again.

“Loki, stop drinking!” he snapped, taking the cup away from him.

“Give it back!” Loki said drowsily, trying to get it back.

“No. You’ve already drank too much.” Thor said, as he was talking to a child.

“Thor, let him do what he wants.” Tony interfered “I think he’s having a kind of a rough time here. People are so very fond of asking about how we do the laundry and how we have sex on Earthgard. I suppose I’d like to get drunk too.”

“King Frey!” a man yelled, “It’s time to retire for the night!”

The King shouted back: “We _won’t_ retire for the night!” People murmured.

Tony frowned.

“Hey Thor. What does that mean?”

Thor’s expression was grave.

“When the feast ends, everyone retires for the night.”

“Oh. Ok. What’s the matter?”

Thor seemed to hesitate.

“Retire for the night with their own slaves.” Thor insisted on the last word.

“Oh, god, no, please. Don’t tell me they’re waiting for me and Loki to go away so they can talk about us.” Tony said in a defeated tone. He already had enough of this people’s shit.

“I fear they are.” Thor suddenly scowled, “Where’s Loki?” He asked preoccupied.

“He was here a second ago!” Tony panicked. Every time that idiot disappeared, something worse happened.

“Let’s find him, Tony.” Thor stated, patting Tony’s shoulder.

Tony found him in a few minutes, on the balcony, leaning to the wood railing, playing with another cup of wine in his hands.

“Hey” he said, sighing in relief “You scared the shit out of us. Need for fresh air?”

“What?” Loki said, sluggishly.

“You’re drunk, are you?” Tony smirked.

Loki chuckled, averting his eyes.

“Maybe I am.”

“Let’s go to sleep, Rudolph.”

“I don’t want to.”

“C’mon, you’ll feel better tomorrow. Well, a bit of hangover never killed anyone. Forget those fuckers. These people are even worse than you, and I can’t believe I’m saying that.”

Loki laughed, “Are they?” He seemed really younger right now.

“Let’s go away from here, I have a headache.”

Loki looked at him with open eyes.

“I won’t.” he said softly.

“Loki, c’mon. Thor’s worried for you. Let’s go back inside.”

Loki nodded, absently.

When they reached Thor, he insisted on escorting them to their room. Loki was quiet the whole time.

“Nobody would try to importune you if I am with you.”

He left them in front of the door.

“Thor, man, we need to talk. I’m serious. This thing’s already going too far from what we agreed.” Tony said, frowning.

“We will, my friend, I owe you. I have to go back to Sif, now. Goodnight.”

They stepped into the room. Tony so was tired and overwhelmed that he just needed to sleep for at least 48 hours.

“Space Vikings. I can’t believe I’m getting involved with space Vikings’ business. You all should-”

He couldn’t finish his ramblings, since Loki had thrown his arms around his neck and got them falling lying on the bed.

Loki was chuckling.

“Space-Vikings! I’m not a space-Viking! I told you!”

“And I told you, you’re drunk.”

Tony was struck in surprise and tried to regain the balance to stand up, but Loki searched his eyes hastily, tightening his grip around the other.

“Everyone is thinking you’re bedding me.” He whispered. His cheeks and ears went pink, his eyes impossibly gleaming.

Tony was speechless and overly embarrassed.

“Probably. However, we are not. Funny thing, isn’t it?” he said, disentangling from the other’s limbs and finally standing up. He straightened his shirt with his hands and ruffled his hair, yawning.

“It doesn’t matter what we’re doing or not. I’m argr anyway.”

“You’re what?”

“I don’t know how to say it in your language.”

Tony frowned.

“Stop playing your games, Loki. Time to go to sleep.” Tony sighed, “I’ll take the floor, it seems so comfy.”

Loki sat on the bed.

“Take me.”

“I’m sorry?” Tony asked with wide eyes.

“I’m your slave. It’s your right.”

“Oh my god, Loki. I don’t care if your perverted society claims it’s my right, I don’t want and I won’t have sex with you! This is so crazy, you’re all fucking crazy!” he cried.

Loki sobered in a blink of the eye.

“Do I repulse you?”

“You… what?” Tony gaped “Loki, you’re not drunk?”

“Is it repulsive, to bed a man for you?” he asked calmly, as he didn’t drink a single drop of wine in his entire life.

“Loki, did you… did you just planned this? Tell me you didn’t. Oh, no, please, tell me you didn’t!” Tony felt he was going crazy. Manipulative little shit.

“I have nothing to tell you.” He stood and walked through the bathroom door, slamming it close behind him.

“Son of a bitch!” Tony shouted, going straight to the door, hitting it hard with his fist.

“I want you out of there, now, Loki! I’m not kidding!”

“I don’t care!” Loki yelled from behind the door.

“Loki, don’t make me do it!”

Loki _couldn’t_ refuse.

“You know you want to do it! Don’t lie to yourself!” he cried in a strangled voice.

Tony didn’t recognize his own voice, when he ordered:

“Loki! Open the door!”

And Loki did it. He opened the door. And the sight that was in front of Tony was one of the most pathetic he ever experienced. Loki was weeping angrily, slightly trembling. His hand gripping at the door with all the strength possible. Tony couldn’t take it anymore.

He pushed Loki down into his chest and hugged him tightly. He breathed the flowery scent of his hair. Felt his body slightly warm, pressing into his own. Loki inspired heavily.

“Let’s go to bed, ok? We’ll think about it after a night of sleep.” He murmured.

Tony made him sit on the bed, and Loki started to take off all the jewelry. When Tony noticed him struggling with the bracelets, “Can I help you?” offered.

Loki shook his head, but Tony took his answer as affirmative, captured his wrists in his hands and clicked open all the golden stuff he could reach.

Loki’s ragged breath evened slowly, and then he spoke, more calmly:

“You don’t have to be soft with me. Can I remind you I almost destroyed you realm? You should punish me, not make me feel better.” He said, in a mocking tone.

“I will punish you. In fact, I’m starting right now.” Tony answered, reaching for some blankets and throwing them in the farthest corner of the room “You take the floor this time.”


	5. Delete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by Tattooed Librarian (Thank you!)  
> Beta'd version (and so totally cooler ahah) of the first three chapters is coming! (:
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos, subscripions and bookmarks, I really apprecciate it! (:

The bath was foggy with the steam of hot water. A long limbed young man sat naked in front of a beautiful woman who was kneeling on the floor. Her hair was curled in an intricate style, in her hands was a cloth and she was tending to the man’s wounded legs.

“I cannot understand why you chose to not use your Seiðr.” Her voice was calm, betraying nothing more than a hint of preoccupation.

“I thought I’d accomplished it anyway.”

She stopped her work to watch him pensively, “and you did it.”

The young man huffed. “I did it, almost losing a leg.”

She gave him a half smile. “Are you asking yourself the reason you did not use your Seiðr?”

“I perfectly know why I did not use my Seiðr, Mother. I wanted to fight like Thor” he said coldly.

She smiled again without looking at him, “and why, for the Norns, would you want to fight like Thor since you are not him?”

“Because everyone loves Thor more.”

“And you want to be loved like Thor is loved?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Are you not loved?”

The man stayed silent, pressing his lips together.

“You know I love you both, equally. You know your Father loves you both.” She said, soft and secure. “You know that there are some people who prefer your company to Thor’s.”

“ _Some_. I’d say a few.”

“Their number is not high enough? Why is that so important? Do you not think that Lagertha is the most talented healer in the Nine Realms? Do you not think King Frey is the most courageous man who walked the branches of Yggdrasil?” She asked.

“Of course I think so. They are.”

“Do not they prefer you above anyone else?” She smirked, “My son, so perceptive about everyone, deems such extraordinary individuals less then commoners.”

“It’s not that. Me and Thor, we’re not considered the same and you can’t deny it” he snarled.

“Why should you be considered the same since you are not the same person?” She looked at him inquiringly, but the man didn’t offer an answer.

“You two are different,” she said, scrubbing away dried blood from the man’s arms, “and since you are, people react differently to you both, so you cannot expect identical judgments. Besides, your skills are different and you should make good use of the gift not many people are blessed with, your Seiðr. Alas, I wish I see both my sons in a marriage of love with two beautiful women, with all their limbs in the right places. Are my desires going too far?” She asked, pretending to be austere.

Her lovely face contorted in a fake smirk and it made the young man smile.

“It has to be a woman?”

She gently set her gaze upon him. “It has not” she whispered sweetly.

“Maybe I will have a marriage of love then.”

She chuckled, “are you talking about Erik? He’s far too old for you.”

“Maybe he will want me when I become his age.”

“And you think he will wait for you?” She said with complicity.

“Maybe he will.” The man looked around in the bathroom.

“He will be too old anyway and you may have already forgotten him, once you have turned Erik’s age.”

“I could never forget Erik.” He stated seriously.

The woman closed her eyes, took his hand in hers and kissed it affectionately.

“My charming young man, there are so many things you will forget.”

 

Tony woke up at someone knocking on his chamber’s door. His eyes fogged with sleep, he couldn’t tell if he was still in a warm, marble bath or if he was in his bed again.

“I’m coming!” he said sluggishly and stood up. He threw a glance at the corner where Loki was still sleeping. He hadn’t moved, even when the knocking got more and more penetrating.

“At least, he’s still there.” Tony thought and opened the door to an anxious-looking god of thunder.

“Friend Tony, I hope I did not show myself too early in the morning. There are still some questions we have to discuss before you return to Midgard and I thought we could use this moment while the Lady Sif is visiting some of her acquaintances in Vanaheim. Were you slumbering?”

“No problem, man. I was and now I’m not.”

Tony shifted to let him pass and Thor walked in, eyeing Loki’s sleeping form on the floor and frowned.

“Ehm, Thor, I can explain why he’s sleeping on the floor, and…” Tony hurried to say, but Thor didn’t seem to take notice of his words.

“Loki, are you unwell?” He asked, kneeling near him. Loki didn’t answer and Tony came closer.

Thor shook Loki’s shoulder and the man produced nothing more than a feeble moan.

Thor scowled and touched the other man’s forehead and cheeks with the back of his huge hand.

“He has fever.” He stated.

“What?” Tony said, incredulously. He crouched near Thor and touched Loki’s forehead with the tips of his fingers.

“He has nothing Thor. He’s not hot at all.” He said.

“My brother…” Thor started, seeming to find the right words, “This is not his usual body temperature. What seems a normal warm body to the Aesir, it reveals to be high fevers for the Jotun.” He explained.

Tony felt guilty.

“Damn, Thor… I made him sleep on the floor, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was so delicate.” He tried.

Thor dismissed him curtly, “Loki is not fragile at all. Sometimes wine has this effect on him. Friend Tony…” he turned toward him “Did you see… things? Recently?”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“When Loki’s unwell he cannot control his Seiðr. It may cause you to experience any sort of hallucinations.”

“Hallucinations? You mean… like a dream?”

“Yes, it can happen. Please forgive him, it is not harmful in anyway.” Thor said, lifting Loki’s body from the floor like a feather.

“Oh, ok, no problem” Tony murmured, watching carefully as Thor lowered the other man on the bed.

“Will you stay with him while I ask for a healer?”

“Sure, Point Break. Go get someone.” Thor nodded and left the room.

Tony came nearer and sat on the bed. “Hey,” he called softly. Only then, he noticed the light pink on Loki’s cheeks and his discontinuous breathing. “Why didn’t you just tell me? You were already warm yesterday evening.” He scolded him quietly. “Why did you drink all that wine in the first place, why are you so desperately trying to disappear?” He paused. “Can you hear me?”

The god didn’t move nor gave him signs of awareness.

Tony hesitantly carded one hand through Loki’s silky hair, caressing his scalp.

“Keep strong, ok? Medicine’s coming.” He murmured.

“You showed me… your mom? Was that your mom? I’m sorry I saw it, it seemed a private moment and…” he said in a whisper. Why was he apologizing by the way?

The door cracked open with Sif, this time. She was bringing with her what seemed to be a little basket full with herbs and stones.

“Thor told me.” She said simply, “he’s talking with Frey into letting you stay here until Loki’s well enough to take the journey to Midgard.”

Tony closed his eyes in defeat. “How long will it take?” he asked. He missed Earthgard so damn much.

“A couple of days usually, no more. Sometimes it happens to him. Don’t let Loki drink this much in the future” she said kneeling near the bed, totally ignoring a disbelieving Tony, she caressed Loki’s head moving a strand of black hair behind his ear.

“I thought you hated him.” Tony said plainly.

“I do, he’s a criminal.” She seemed uninterested in Tony’s tedious opinions in any case, so he kept quiet. She took a small rounded stone from her basket and she scrubbed it delicately on Loki’s cheeks.

“This is for lowering the fever.” She explained.

Tony couldn’t tell how a stone could do anything for a fever, but he didn’t comment further.

After a few minutes, Thor was back with company. Tony recognized the man they met at the feast, Lord Erik.

“Thank you, Lord Erik. Nobody knows those kind of fevers as you do in this Realm.” Thor murmured while the man made Sif shift to take her place in front of the bed.

The tall man spoke, “Only a few people know about Frost Giants’ diseases. I was lucky your Mother chose to teach me something about them.”

“We were lucky you were willing to learn, Lord Erik.” Sif said.

“I just thought that if your Mother wanted to instruct me about Frost Giants’ diseases, there had to be a reason.” He declared, “A good, cold bath will do the job. If it stays like this, there won’t be the need for medicines. You.” He pointed at Tony’s direction, “You’ll help me. Thor, Sif, you can go and inform Frey. Tell him to keep calm, it’s nothing serious. Go.” He ordered.

The Lady Sif was more than willing to leave the room. Thor, on the other hand, showed some hesitance, but went away as well. When the door was closed after them, Erik spoke again.

“Undress him. I’ll prepare the water.”

Tony nodded as the man walked through the bathroom door.

Therefore he started with disentangling Loki’s body from the covers he nestled in. The other man still seemed unconscious. Tony took away his shirt, pants and underwear, then he enveloped him again in a blanket and lifted him in his arms. Tony moved slowly, limping into the bathroom under Loki’s heavy weight.

Erik was kneeling before the bathtub, testing the water.

“Lower him inside.”

Tony unwrapped him from the blanket and did as he was told, but he startled when some drops of water reached his arms and lifted Loki up again. Oh, his poor back. A massage. Booking a massage set in his spa the very moment he was back on Earthgard.

“Hey man, you serious? It’s freezin’!” He yelled, widening his eyes at Erik.

“Mortal, Loki is a Frost Giant. Does this ring any bell in your brains?”

Tony felt unsure and tightened his grip around Loki’s body, whose weight was getting unbearable.

“If you decide it’s not getting any better, you can lift him up and settle him in front of the fireplace. I swear I’ll set the flames myself. I’m asking you to try to my method before.” He said.

Tony sighed in preoccupation. “I got it.” He mumbled, lowering Loki’s thin frame again.

He shivered hard when his arms went underwater, feeling cold even after he removed them. He kept Loki’s head over the border with his hand and warily watched Lord Erik wetting Loki’s hair by cupping water with his huge hands. Tony was about to take Loki away from the iced jail when he cracked his eyes open.

Loki gave a confused look around, his eyed a blurred mess. Then he watched Tony almost pensively. Meanwhile, Tony took away his hand from the nape of his neck.

“Welcome back, Loki.” Erik boomed, levering himself up right, holding a hand on the wall on the opposite side of the bathtub. In a sharp breath Loki’s gaze seemed to regain focus immediately and his cheeks inflamed with a sturdy shade of red.

“What’s wrong, young man?” He asked in surprise and then understanding seemed to descend upon him. “You.” He said to Tony, narrowing his eyes, “exit this room instantly.” He commanded.

The points of Loki’s ears became impossibly pink while he clumsily tried to rise from the water.

Uh-oh. Someone needed help.

“Ehm, Lord Erik, I’d like to stay, instead. You know… He’s under my responsibility from now on, and so I need to learn anything possibly useful, since is not easy to contact Thor and you all up here.” He babbled.

“Umpf. Are you fine now?” he said in Loki’s direction, straightening himself.

“Y-yes.” He muttered.

“Take him out of the water. He needs to warm up now, I’ll prepare the fireplace,” and he strode to the other room.

Loki tried to regain composure, grasping the tub’s edges to stand.

“Hey, I’ll help you.” Tony said, grabbing a large towel and covering the man. Loki stepped out the bathtub trembling. He seemed not to know what to do next, so Tony took the initiative and moved the towel from his shoulders to his head, rubbing his hair. That gesture seemed to bring Loki back to reality.

“Stark.” He whispered, “Make him go away.” He murmured, looking pointedly at his feet.

“No problem.” Tony said, tightening the towel around Loki’s scrawny body, “We go out there, say thanks, goodbye and he’s gone. Ok?” He said gently.

Loki nodded.

“You feel better, now?”

Loki nodded again.

In the near room, now a bright intense fire was crackling with some big piece of wood.

Lord Erik kept a singular frown in Tony’s direction almost all the time.

“Sit in front of the fireplace and rest.” He ordered Loki.

“Thank you, Erik. I am deeply sorry for wasting your time. You can go, your service is not needed anymore.” Loki said, his voice still feeble.

Erik gave a sign of affirmation and warned Tony, looking straight into his eyes, “You leave him alone, you are dead.”

When Tony looked at the fireplace, Loki was sitting cross-legged on a huge fur rug, his eyes closed, the flame’s lights dancing on his face.

Tony sighed, tired as hell, and sat on the rug next to him, enjoying the hot air that was slowly flooding in the room.

“Did you do it on purpose?”

“What?” Loki asked in a worn out voice.

“Drinking that much.”

“Why should I have done that?” He exhaled.

“There could be multiple explanations.”

“Go ahead.”

“Kill yourself.”

“Possibly.”

“Scare the hell out of Thor.”

“Not impossible.”

“Scare the hell out of me.”

“You consider yourself a lot more than your true value.”

“Just to draw attention on yourself.”

“People tend to consider this one as true.”

“Bringing Erik’s attention to yourself.”

Loki’s eyes snapped open and he watched Tony with half disgust and half astonishment.

“What?” He yelled in a strangled voice, turning toward Tony in a sudden flash.

Tony cursed himself. Why was he not careful about what he was letting leak out to Loki? He couldn’t think about that anyway, because the above-mentioned god was trying to crush his throat. Tony impatiently took his wrists away.

“Damn, Dasher, stop it!” He said bored.

Loki’s eyes were currently burning more than the actual fire near them. “What do you know about Erik? _How_?”

Tony bit his lower lip. “You showed me.” He said warily.

Loki froze. “In my fever?” He asked calmly.

“Yes.” Tony answered.

“What did you see?”

Tony tried to recall most of it.

“It was you, you were talking with a woman. I supposed she was your Mother.”

“Why did you suppose that?”

“Well, you… you were naked,” Loki’s eyes were full of disdain and Tony hurried to say, “She was totally dressed!” holding out both his hands.

Loki frowned. “Why was I naked?”

“You were in a bath, she was treating your wounds.”

“What kind of wounds? Just the two of us?”

“Yeah, just you two… I don’t know, gashes, I don’t remember very well. You said you almost lost a leg, or something like that.”

“Oh, that one. Yes. It was the aftermath of a battle with the Dwarfs.” He turned to the fireplace again, strangely composed, “I may have mentioned Erik at that time.”

Tony hummed his understanding. Better not remarking that right now.

“So,” he started, “You think we may be able to go back to Earth in a few days or…”

“Tomorrow.” Loki stated.

“Are you sure? Sif mentioned you needed a couple of days.”

“I’m already fine.”

“Is Erik going to kill me if I don’t give you the time you need, even if it’s actually you who’s spending your best efforts to destroy yourself?”

“Erik is an old man, he overreacts.”

“How old is he?”

“Three thousand five hundred and more, at least.”

“Wow. Hey,” Tony said, standing up, “Lose that towel, it’s wet. It’s better if you get dressed, I’ll give you a track suit.”

Loki didn’t avert his gaze from the fireplace and he took the clothes Tony handed him. Slowly he let the towel slip in a heap on the floor, got up and dressed. The pants were too short and the sweatshirt almost hanging off his shoulder. Tony nearly chuckled at the sight. He sat again before the fireplace and Tony put a blanket over his shoulders. Loki nodded in thanks.

“What about eating something?”

“I’m not hungry, thank you.”

“Is it because you didn’t eat anything in days that you got sick?”

“No, it’s because of the wine.”

“You knew it. Why did you drink that much?” He asked for the second time, sitting again next to Loki.

“I don’t know. I was nervous.”

“Why were you nervous?”

“You want to know it?”

“Yes.”

“Compromise, then.”

“Surprise me.”

“Delete the record of me and Eir speaking.”

“Why do you care so much about that record?”

“Delete it and I’ll answer three questions you want to be answered. I’ll swear with the vow of the gods.”

“The what?”

“If I swear the vow of the gods, I am bound to tell the truth. I cannot lie, only not answer. Delete the record and I promise I will answer. Of course you can’t ask what our conversation was about or the whole thing is pointless.”

“How can I believe you?”

“Compromise.”

Delete or not?

Tony huffed as he went to take the gauntlet from his bag, then going back to Loki.

“Here it is.” He showed him a little display on the inner part. He kept the display in sight while he deleted the record before Loki’s eyes.

“Satisfied?”

“Never. But it will do for now.”

“Can I begin with questions?”

“Only three. Go ahead.”

Tony spoke the first one.

“During the Chitauri invasion, were you mind-controlled?”

Loki tensed as he was expecting exactly that one question and he said curtly, “I was.”

“One gone, two left. Are you planning something right now?”

Loki smirked, “I always am.”

“I know I wasted that one, but I had to give it a try.”

“You choose.”

“My last: are you in love with Erik?”

Loki closed his eyes, “I thought I was, when I was very young.”

“And are you know?”

“You already used all of your questions.”

“Oh, c’mon, you didn’t answer it at all.”

“I told you I had the chance to not answer.”

“But you promised to answer! Is this thing of the vow of the gods true, at least?”

“Absolutely not.”

“I knew it, you scheming little shit.” Tony whispered, narrowing his eyes, “why did you answer my first question, anyway?” He noted.

“Did you believe me?”

“Absolutely not.”

“So my plan is accomplished.” Loki stated, lying down on his back, sprawling on the rug and stretching his limbs.

“Were you? Mind controlled?”

“Does it matter? It won’t change the result.”

“It’d change something for me.”

“In which way?”

“I’d know I’m housing a douchebag and not a killer.”

“Then, I was.”

“Are you saying this shit just to infuriate me?”

“I don’t know.”

Tony rolled his eyes and laid on the floor as well.

“Trying to talk with you is like trying to escape a labyrinth with no exit.” He paused, concentrating on the high ceiling, “Thor thinks you were mind-controlled.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I can’t exclude it.”


	6. He's adopted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! :) Sorry for the eternal wait, here's a new chapter. Beta-reading by TattooedLibrarian :)

Someone knocked at the door.  
“Come in!” Tony said in a loud voice.  
A short, chubby woman appeared and Tony recognized the servant from the day before.  
“Ma’am,” Tony greeted.  
The woman sneezed and ignored him, laying a tray full of food on the table.  
“King Frey sent this for you, Sirs,” she explained, “Master Loki, you were unwell, is it true? D’you require a healer?”  
“I’m fine, Porunn, thank you. Please, do tell King Frey I don’t need anything else and that we’re leaving on the morrow.”  
Porunn’s eyes went ridiculously wide as she said, “Are you, Master? Would it not be better for you to rest another day?”  
Loki smiled at her, “I’m serious and I’m fine. Please refer my words to the King.”  
Porunn nodded, “Fine, my Prince.” She said, resigned.  
Loki pressed his lips together when the woman closed the door behind her.  
“What’s wrong?” Tony asked.  
“She shouldn’t call me Prince or Master. It’s dangerous for me.”  
“Do you wanna eat somethin’?”  
“No.”  
“Rudolph, stop this shit at once. I’ve seen you eat _once_ in four days, what game are you playing?” Tony spat, annoyed.  
Loki pinched the bridge of his nose, rolling his eyes.  
“The cake. Give me the cake.”  
“Again?”  
“The cake or nothing.”  
“Ok, ok, you can have the cake.”  
They ate in silence, both of them deeply lost in thought, then Loki spoke again.  
“Go and talk with Thor and Sif, tell them we’re leaving tomorrow.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Are you enjoying your stay in Vanaheim? Don’t you want to go back home?”  
“Sure I want to go home, I’m just surprised that you seem so eager to leave this place. It seems you don’t want to spend another minute here and I wonder why.”  
Loki answered warily, “King Frey has a terrible weak point: diplomacy. Unfortunately, I must say he’s not diplomatic at all and bargaining is the only way out from my current situation. He may decide to kill you and start a war against Asgard. The less time we spend under his eyes, the better chance of survival for me.”  
Tony groaned.  
“I still can’t believe I got myself in this, the middle of a space-Vikings’ cold war.”  
“I need to rest in order to regain my strengths.” Loki just said.  
“I got it, I got it.”

“Thor, just say the whole story this time, no omissions”  
Thor shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. Sif sat at the desk, eyeing both men with a curious stare.  
“Friend Tony, I’m aware I have already abused your patience. I hope you’ll understand that I omitted part of this story trying to protect my fool brother as much as I could.”  
Tony rolled his eyes impatiently.  
“Yes, yes, Point Break, I got it, lil’ Loki was so in need for help.”  
“As you said, indeed you have the ability to order my brother to do almost anything.”  
“What do you mean with ‘almost’?”  
“You cannot order him to kill you. It wouldn’t make sense.”  
“Ok, but how do I control him? I tried to order him to do things before, but it worked only a couple of times.”  
“You have to mean it. Success comes with practice, simply order him to do more things and you’ll master it. Again, are you sure you’re leaving tomorrow?”  
“Yes, Thor. Loki said he’ll be ok and I need some rest in my own bed. I’ll wait for you to come and talk with Fury and SHIELD. I’d do it myself but…”  
“It’s too dangerous. They may try to take Loki away from you and this I cannot permit. Hide him until my return to Midgard.”  
“Ok, man. So, shall we say bye to the King?”

The night passed with no trouble and at the dawn the Bifrost was already shining its rainbow lights.  
King Frey, Thor, Sif and some noblemen Tony remembered from the Feast accompanied them to their departure. When the group came near to the end of the crystal bridge, Thor and Sif halted and nodded in goodbye to the noblemen, who stopped and were left behind.  
Tony and Loki didn’t exchange many words the evening before and now they just kept walking silently and looked at each other now and then, waiting for Thor to call for Heimdall.  
Suddenly, King Frey nodded at Lord Erik to come closer and he walked toward Loki.  
“Lord Erik,” he boomed in his usual roaring voice, “Can you hear me?”  
“Oh god, is there anyone who can’t hear you in a hundred miles radius?” Tony thought. Then he noticed everyone seemed greatly startled and Loki, who had taken a few steps behind, looked most terrified.  
“Yes, my King!” Lord Erik declared solemnly.  
“Frey!” Loki tried to protest, but nothing could keep the King at bay when he held Loki’s shoulders in a tight grip.  
“Loki of Jotunheim, you gave great service to the glorious realm of the Vanir. I, as the present King, shall thank you in the name of all of us,” he sentenced, “Since you have no Mother and no Father anymore, you are a son of Vanaheim. My son, from now on.”  
King Frey’s eyes shone like a thousand stars while a green light embraced both Loki and Tony. It was hard to breathe and Tony could barely stand when he looked around and recognized his house in Malibu. Finally home.

Tony felt washed by a wave of impossible tiredness. They did it, they were safe and sound on Earth, he thought as he sank on the large white sofa, throwing a glance at Loki. The god was tense and visibly confused, gaping at some inner thought.  
“Hey, Dasher. You okay? You wanna sit?”  
Loki didn’t say a word, but looked at Tony, seeming utterly lost.  
“How did we get here, by the way? It wasn’t the Bifrost, was it?”  
Loki was petrified, eyeing the surroundings warily as he expected some monstrous thing to pop out from nowhere, his breathing unsteady.  
Tony stood and came closer.  
“What happened in Vanaheim? Did your Uncle just made a huge mess?” He asked, lifting a brow, “Come here, let’s talk, you’re paler than ever.”  
Tony guided the other to the sofa and made Loki sit while he knelt in front of him. Tony stretched his arms to the sofa at Loki’s sides and looked straight at him.  
“Hey, you here?” He said softly.  
Loki laid his gaze on Tony and a single tear dropped on his cheek. Loki sucked his breath.  
Tony didn’t think twice and slowly cupped the other’s face, wiping it away with his thumb, keeping his eyes glued to Loki’s.  
The god pressed his lips in a thin line, furrowing his forehead, searching Tony’s face.  
Tony let slip his hand on Loki’s knee and asked again, gently, “You okay? What was Frey talking about? He… adopted you?”  
Loki closed his eyes.  
“He used an official formula to adopt me, yes.”  
“Official protocol, uh? What then?”  
“You mortals have no idea of what is going to happen in the high spheres of the two most powerful Realms in the universe.” He said acidly.  
Tony was very annoyed when he spoke again, “Ehm, sorry Mr. Real Power for not knowing what the high council of elves, dwarves and space-Vikings united is now plotting and…”  
Loki stood up so quickly that Tony almost lost his balance and fell to the floor. So he straightened and sat on the sofa, watching Loki pacing from right to left.  
“No jesting, Stark! A war may begin, one King Frey may be involved in,” he stopped and whispered, “Because of me.”  
“Because he adopted you? I thought Odin didn’t care any more about you, no offence, Dasher, I can’t picture him starting a war right now.”  
Loki hissed, “You proclaim yourself a genius and you can’t look further than your nose. It’s not about me. It’s about honor in a minor way and power and control in a major way,” he said darkly.  
“What do you mean with power and control?”  
“It’s been centuries that Odin has been waiting for a reason to bring war to the Vanir. They control virtually all the goods and treasures from Alfheim. They live in the richest and most vast territory, after Asgard,” he explained, “He had already tried to take over with his marriage. Though, Queen Frigga used everything in her possibilities to protect her home,” he concluded.  
“You think he’ll cling to Frey’s actions to declare him war?”  
“Most possibly he will.” Loki stated.  
“Damn. And… Hey, don’t take this badly, I’m just asking, why did Frey do it?”  
Loki clenched his fists.  
“Sentimentalism.” He paused, “I don’t know,” he admitted, averting his gaze from Tony, “I want to find out. So suddenly, so unexpectedly… He was a fool.” He looked lost again, a young uncertainness drawn on his face.  
“How can we find out?”  
“I don’t know.” Loki sighed, defeated.  
“We need a way to communicate with them. Thor, maybe?” God, Tony was exhausted. They just got home and they already had to deal with Asgard and company again.  
“It won’t be safe enough.”  
Loki was very nervous and Tony felt an irresistible need to calm him.  
“Hey, we’ll fix this, we can find another way.”  
“I need my Seiðr back.” He blurted.  
“Loki, it’s the hundredth time I’ve heard you say that,” Tony huffed, “Provide a way you can have it back, at least.”  
“I can’t do anything right now, it’s too dangerous.” He said, looking out of the window, out to the ocean, drinking the vast sight as he saw it for the first time in his life. It was almost sunset, time probably passed differently in Vanaheim. Loki walked slowly near the window and stood silent.  
Tony put his brain to work. Was there a way to exchange information with someone within the court? A modified StarkPhone could do the job. Tony had been able to connect to Jarvis through his gauntlet. There were still some line troubles, but he could fix them. Then, give the thing to someone like Eir and it was done. With that incredible web of Loki-loving-servants, they’d be surely up to date with everything. How to deliver the StarkPhone to Eir? By Thor? Tony was about to share his concerns waith Loki when a red headed women walked into the room.

“Hey Pep. Seems like we have a new employee.” Tony smiled softly.  
Pepper eyed Loki suspiciously, whom returned a cold stare.  
“Dasher, meet Miss Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries.”  
Pepper walked further toward the sofa and averted her gaze from Loki’s frame only to hug Tony tightly.  
“It’s great to see you alive,” she whispered.  
“Thanks.” Tony grinned.  
“Tony, we have to talk. What are you going to do with him?” She asked with a concerned voice.  
“Let’s talk, let’s talk now. In front of a big pizza, maybe? Would you mind ordering take out?” He said tiredly.  
“Tony,” Pepper warned, “He’s a war criminal. You should hand him to SHIELD like we and Rhodey suggested before you went to Asgard.”  
Loki observed them impassibly from his corner near the window. Tony looked at him.  
“I know, but things happened up there.”  
“What kind of things?” Pepper asked, confused.  
“Loki was mind-controlled.”  
Both the mentioned God and Pepper widened their eyes.  
Pepper’s brows furrowed deeply, “What? How do you know that?”  
“Thor found out. They caught some soldiers from the Chitauri army on a raid and interrogated them. All of them spilled the same version, he,” he explained, pointing at Loki, “was a victim.”  
Pepper stood silent, reflecting on everything Tony was putting on the table.  
“Pizza?” Tony tried again.  
Pepper closed her eyes and huffed.  
“I’ll be back with dinner,” she said with effort, and suddenly was gone.  
Tony sank back on the sofa.  
Loki slightly touched the glass with the tips of his fingers.  
“Why did you lie to her?” He asked indifferently. Tony sighed.  
“It was a half-lie.”  
“Chitauri prisoners? Mind-control?”  
“One and a half of a lie. Follow me. I’ll show you your room.”

Showing Loki his new room was an easy task since he hadn’t shown any interest in the furniture nor did he have any stuff to arrange in there.  
In a short while, Pepper was back with two huge steaming pizza boxes and finally they silently sat at the table in the living room. Tony took a slice and chewed slowly, cherishing every single bite.  
“God knows I missed this” he said, “C’mon Pep, help yourself!”  
Pepper cut half a slice and folded it, taking a small bite.  
“I talked with Fury” she said simply.  
“You what?” Tony asked in surprise.  
“I couldn’t wait for you or Thor to come back, I had to do it for Stark Industries’ interests. Fury grew suspicious when you and Thor disappeared and started an investigation in our bank accounts and level Red projects. I spoke with Natasha and we decided that me taking control of the situation was the best choice.” She explained.  
“Response?”  
“I only gave Fury the necessary details and I clarified that SHIELD can’t try to take Loki away from you because that would end in a declaration of war from Asgard. He almost suffocated with anger.” Her intelligent eyes shone intense as Tony’s smile widened word after word.  
“What about the guys? Of course Natasha knows everything, but Cap and… Clint?” When the thought of Clint crossed Tony’s mind, he suddenly laid his gaze upon the man at his right.  
Loki was very tense, sitting straightly. His eyes were fixed on the part of the table in front of him.  
“He knows, Natasha told him. I’m not sure how he took it, the last time I saw him he seemed particularly… unmoved by the news.” Pepper said, narrowing her eyes.  
Tony held his scrutiny on Loki’s face next to him.  
“Loki,” he said softly, “Take a slice.”  
Loki startled almost imperceptibly.  
He responded calmly, “Thank you, I’m not hungry.”  
“Have you ever tried pizza?”  
Loki paused a couple of seconds before saying “No, I don’t think so.”  
“Give it a try, it’s one of the best things ever! On Earthgard, at least.”  
“Maybe another time,” he continued nervously.  
Tony was about insisting again when Pepper interrupted him.  
“Loki, if you prefer something else I can get it.” She attempted.  
He hesitated. “I… It won’t be necessary. I’m not hungry right now.”  
“Are you sure?” She persisted.  
Loki sighed, “What is it made of?” He asked.  
“You mean the recipe?” Tony interrupted, confused.  
“It’s flour, water, salt… tomato sauce, cheese and peppers.” Pepper listed, chewing another piece of her slice.  
“Is pepper a vegetable?”  
“Indeed.”  
Without adding anything else, Loki took a slice and started to eat it slowly.  
Tony lifted both his brows in disbelief, but didn’t comment further.  
“What is he going to do while he’s staying at the tower?” She asked.  
“I still don’t know actually, though I have to employ him in some way. Rudolph,” he turned to him once more, “What can you do, apart from taking over the world, tossing daggers and throw people out windows?”  
Loki stopped eating and he leisurely laid his slice of pizza on the table.  
“I can do anything. I suppose you are asking me what I can do for you. You might specifically ask what you want me to do.”  
An uncomfortable silent descended upon them. Then, Pepper spoke again.  
“He could be Rosalita’s substitute for now. She’s visiting her family in Mexico; her sister’s having a baby.”  
Tony chuckled.  
“Pepper, are you for real? He’s going to poison us all with the very first meal passing between his hands!”  
“He can’t hurt you, Thor told us.” She said in a knowing smile.  
“You did the homework.” Tony smiled, “But maybe he can’t cook. Can you, Reindeer Games?” he asked.  
Loki kept his unimpressed gaze upon him.


End file.
